Home
by Vivere Sine Timore
Summary: post Camp Rock. Shane and Mitchie got together after Camp Rock, but had to have a long-distance relationship becuase Shane had to go on tour. Then Mitchie disappears with no explanation. better description inside.
1. Trailer

**Hey, I've read a few stories like this before, and I decided to try my hand at it. btw this is only the trailer. I decided to try this instead of a summary. The sad thing, though, is that I can totally picture this.**

**Narrator  
**_quote  
_(scene)  
**_Action (special effects)(sort of)_**

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**When she was 16, Mitchie Torres...**

(Mitchie blows out candles on a cake while her friends sing happy birthday)

**...Disappeared**

_**birthday scene freezes and turns to black and white**_

**She left no note or explanation**

_Mitchie's mom: Where is my daughter? Where is Mitchie?  
Police Officer: I promise, Ma'am, we're doing everything we can to find her.  
_

**She just vanished**

(Shane sitting in hir room alone, looking at the stars)

**People began to give up hope that she would come back**

_Nate: Why can't you just accept the fact that she's probably not going to come back?  
Shane: Because she will!  
Nate: No! She won't!_

**They assumed she was dead  
**(Mitchie's memorial)

**Except for one boy**

(Shane is at a lake)  
_Shane:(whispering) I know you're out there, Mitch. Please come back._  
**_Fade to black_**

**Ten years later...**

(Older Shane is walking down the street when he walks into someone)

**...She's back**

_**Black  
**Shane: Mitchie?  
**Dramatic music**_

**A story about**

**Friendship  
**(Caitlyn and Mitchie sitting on a bed and laughing)

**Hate  
**(Man throwing Mitchie to the ground)

**Betrayal  
**_Man: How could you?  
Mitchie: I didn't do anything  
Man: Liar!_

**Family  
**_Mitchie: Mom!_

**And finding love again  
**(Shane slipping a ring onto Mitchie's finger)  
**_Black_**

**Home  
Written and produced by still waiting for my prince**

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**So... what did you think? Good? Horrible? Somewhere in between? Review plz!**

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	2. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! I'm back. Fanfiction wouldn't let me log in for a few days. Idk why, but my friend had the same problem, so I know it wasn't just my computer. Anyways, here's the first official chapter!**

_2009_

It was almost midnight. Mitchie had gone out to see a movie by herself four hours ago, and she still hadn't come back. Connie Torres paced nervously back and forth across the living room. This wasn't like Mitchie. Her curfew was 11:00, and her daughter was ALWAYS on time. She'd called the police an hour ago, and they were currently out looking for Mitchie. Steve, Connie's husband, sat on the couch, watching his wife pace.

A car with flashing red and blue lights pulled up, and Connie rushed outside, and Steve followed quickly.

"Did you find her?" Connie asked quickly.

"No, but-"

"Where is my daughter? Where is Mitchie?" Connie was on the verge of shrieking, and Steve tried to calm her down.

"I promise, ma'am, we're doing everything we can to find her."

"Did you check the park? She likes to go there. She could've fallen asleep!" The officer shook his head.

"We had someone check there already."

"What about an Amber Alert? Can't you send one out?"

"There isn't enough information of how she disappeared. I'm sorry." Connie broke down sobbing.

"My baby girl," she cried. "My beautiful baby girl."

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**Ok, i know that was a horrible way to end it, and that this was really short, but I want to do the present time, and that would have to be a totally different chapter.**


	3. Chapter 2

**Boo. wow, that was random... oh well. Okay, this chapter might be a little confusing. it's going to skip around a lot, so I'll try to make it as non-confusing (I don't even know if that's a word!) as possible. If you still don't understand it, pm me and Ill attempt to explain it that way. But this is more of a filler chapter because I realized I needed to put in all the things from the trailer too, which is also a reason for why it skips around a lot.**

**Also, from now on, all my stories will be from the 1st person POV.**

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I sat opposite from my friends and bandmates, Nate and Jason. We were on the tour bus and had a gig later, but I had just gotten a phone call that had sent my world tumbling down. The phone was in the middle of us, where I had placed it a few minutes ago. No one said anything. No one could make my feel better.

"We need to find her," I said finally. "We need to help find Mitchie."

"Shane, it's a long shot. We probably won't be able to find her."

"I don't care! If it were Caitlyn who'd gone missing, would you want to find her?" Nate and Caitlyn had started going out a month ago.

"Yeah, but-"

"So what make Mitchie any different from Caitlyn?"

"Shane, Nearly 800,000 children disappear every year from the US. Out of them, only 10,000 are found alive." **(The last part is false. 10,000 is the number of children NOT recovered.)** I could feel my face fall.

"But, I love her."

"Chances are she's not going to be part of the 10,000 that are found man," Nate said. "Look, I'm sorry, but that's the fact." I stood up briskly and slammed the door to their bedroom.

"He'll be okay," I heard Nate reassure Jason. "He just needs time."

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I stood towards the back of the church with my friends. Mitchie's parents were up at the alter, with Caitlyn and Sierra, her best friends.

"Mitchie was an amazing person," Caitlyn was saying. "I wish we knew where she was, and that's she's okay, and not somewhere... d-dead." Her voice cracked on the last word.

"I miss my friend," Sierra said. "I wish she would come back, if she can. I wish she was here." A picture of Mitchie was about five feet to their left, and Shane couldn't take his eyes off of it. Already, he couldn't quite recall what her voice sounded like, or what it sounded like when she laughed. He couldn't clearly remember the last time he'd seen her in person.

The memorial ended too soon, and I sat on a bench by the pond outside. I stared at the dark water, imagining what it would be like to jump in it.

"I know you're out there Mitch," I said softly. "Please come back. We all miss you."

"Dude, what are you doing?" I jumped. I hadn't heard Nate's approach.

"Nothing." I said quickly.

"Shane, why can't you just accept the fact that she's not going to come back?" Nate demanded.

"Because she will!"

"No! She won't! She's probably never going to come back!" I stood up and looked him in the eyes.

"Yes she will. I'll search until I find her. I will not give up." I spoke in a deathly calm voice, then turned on my heel and walked away. I _will_ find Mitchie, if it's the last thing I do.


	4. Chapter 3

**YAY! 2nd update in 24 hours! haha.**

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**_2019_**

It's been 10 years, 5 months and 2 days since i got the call that Mitchie was missing. 10 frickin' long years, 5 frickin' months and 2 days. But who's counting? I want so bad to be mad at her, for leaving without a trace. But I couldn't. I loved her too much.

I'd hired a private investigator, and told him to search every lead he got. He came up empty, and I told him to try again. And again, and again and again. Still nothing. Then, when I graduated from college, I did the unthinkable. To celebrate my new freedom and maturity, I gave up the search. I decided that I'd been searching long enough and if she'd wanted to be found, she would have turned up by now.

Now I was just about to turn 29, which meant that she was about 26 or 27. I was living just outside New York City, with a job as a musical producer for Broadway shows. I recently had a small reunion with Lola, when she was chosen to star in a musical I was working on.

Now, with the day almost over, I was heading back home. I turned the corner onto my street... and promptly walked into a woman. The bags she had been carrying fell, and her groceries spilled out, and the stroller she'd been pushing almost rolled into the street. I caught the handle of it just in time.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" she said.

"It's okay," I said. "It was my fault. I wasn't watching where I was going. Here, let me help you with those." I started picking up things that had fallen on the ground.

"Thanks," she said. I looked up to see who I was helping.

She had straight brown hair that hung just below her shoulders, and bangs that fell haphazardly in her eyes. Her eyes were a dark brown that seemed to look right past you and into your soul, and her lips were pale pink and twisted up into a small smile. I saw all of this, but I didn't need to. I'd recognize her anywhere.

"Mitchie?"

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**Okay, okay, I know, it's a short chapter. But I felt like being evil and leaving you with a cliffhanger. besides, I'll probably update either tomorrow or the day after. Or maybe I'll be evil again and not update till next week.... it all depends on the reviews!**


	5. Chapter 4

_Previously:_

_I saw all of this, but i didn't have to. I'd recognize her anywhere._

_"Mitchie?"_

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"What?" she asked in a confused tone.

"Mitchie, it's me, Shane. We went to camp together, remember?"

"Sir, I'm sorry, but you have the wrong person. my name is Mary." What? No, it's not! This woman was definitely Mitchie. Sure, she was older and may look a little different, but it was definitely her. I'd know her anywhere.

"Mitchie, what are you talking about?" I asked.

"I'm not this Mitchie person you seem to think I am," she said. "Now excuse me, but I'm late." She pushed past me, and I followed.

"At least let me give you a ride," I said. "My car's right around the corner." I hardly ever use my car anymore. I really only use it to drive long distances.

"I make it a point not to accept rides from strange men." The baby in the stroller laughed, and I realized that he was her son. I vaguely remembered that she had taken a vow of purity, and since she has a son, she must be married.

"Cute kid," I said, masking my disappointment pretty well.

"Thanks," she said. "His name's Joseph, but I call him Joey." The kid had curly blonde hair and big blue eyes. **(Pic on profile. And if any of you can guess which celeb's baby picture this is, you will get a virtual cookie!)**

"How old is he?"

"He's 18 months, but he's big for his age." Her son looked up at me and laughed again, and Mitchie (or Mary, as she insisted to be called) smiled back at him.

"Yes, Joey, he is a funny man," she cooed. I stopped walking and gaped at her. What happened to her? She kept walking and didn't look back. I kept following her, this time from a distance. She kept turning into the setting sun, making it hard to follow her, but I always found her again. She would also go down the same street twice, as if she knew I was there and was trying to lose me.

In the end, almost and hour later, I ended up a few blocks down from my apartment. I ducked into a dark alley when she checked over her shoulder, then went into her apartment complex. Stalker-ish? Yes, a little. But with good reason.

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**omg, I had a science sub today cause my teacher is on maternity leave, and the actual sub starts tomorrow. So the sub's sub didn't have a lesson plan, so we had to watch a movie on _fire._ It was so stupid. So me and my friend Anna are sitting in the back, and I'm whisper-yelling "BUUUUURN! BUUUUUURN!" and Anna's texting her boyfriend like "I'm sitting next to Brianna and she's like 'burn!' and im scared." and then he didn't text back and she was all unhappy and like "why hasn't he texted back?" and I'm like "BUUUUUURN!"**


	6. Chapter 5

**_IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT- _I am putting all my stories EXCEPT this on and A Summer to Remember on temporary hiatus because it's really hard to work on all of them at once and I'm getting all frantic and frazzled (haha I love that word) so I chose 2 stories at random to keep working on for the time being. I won't work on any of my other ones until both of these stories are complete. yeah, that's it.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Never did, never will. I don't own Applebee's either.**

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The next day, I followed Mitchie first to a day care center, then to her workplace. It was at the Applebee's across from the Gershwin theater, where I worked. I wondered how long we had lived like this; so close, yet never knowing. I always imagined that she would be found in a different state, like... Idaho, or Kansas, or something. Not just down the street. All those years, I'd been searching in the most likely places, ignoring the most obvious ones.

I was distracted the whole day, my mind on Mitchie. Only Lola seemed to notice, though.

"Shane, what's up?" she asked me at the end of the day. "And don't give me any of that nothing crap. You've been acting weird all day." I looked down at my shoes, which were suddenly fascinating.

"Lola, you remember Mitchie, right?" I asked quietly. Lola sighed and stopped walking. I stopped walking too, and looked Lola in the eyes.

"Shane," she said slowly, "you have to get over her you know, move on. It's been 10 years. Most likely, whoever took her, killed her. And I know you don't want to hear that, but that's-"

"I found her," I interrupted. "She lives down the street with me, along with her son named Joseph. She calls him Joey. I don't know if she's married though, and she works at the Applebee's across the street.

Wishful thinking," Lola muttered, shaking her head. She began to walk again, but I grabbed her wrist and pulled her the other way.

"Shane! Where are we going?" she demanded.

"I'm gonna prove it to you," I said. She began trying to pull her arm out of my grip, but it was useless.

"Hi, welcome to Applebee's," a girl greeted us when we walked in the door.

"Hi, um, I'd like to speak to a worker here," I said. "Her name is Mary. Can you get her for me?"

"Sure." The girl flounced off, and Lola glared at me.

"Shane, this is stupid," she said, placing her free hand on her hip.

"Lola, I swear it's her."

"No it's not! There is no way that she is-" Lola focused on something over my shoulder.

"-Mitchie." she finished. Her eyes were wide. I turned, and there she was, with the girl who greeted us. Her mouth was open, and she dropped the tray she was carrying.

"You," Mitchie said, her eyes narrowing when she saw me.

"What?" Lola said. "You... missing... how is this _possible_?"

"Told you," I gloated. Lola glared at me and slapped my arm. Mitchie was shaking her head.

"I can't believe you," she said. "I told you yesterday, you had the wrong person."

"Mitchie, you know I don't give up that easily."

"My name is _Mary_."

"Mitchie, we all know it's you," Lola said. Mitchie looked pissed now.

"Mandy, I need to pick up Joey. Table 5 needs a diet Coke, a water and a lemonade." Mandy nodded, then trotted off. Mitchie glared at us before grabbing Lola's wrist and the sleeve of my jacket and leading us outside. She kept walking for a few buildings, then turned down a less busy street.

"What are you guys doing here?" she hissed through her teeth.

"We're working on a broadway show together," I said.

"What's going on?" Lola asked. Mitchie started to pace and run her hands through her hair.

"Mitchie?" I said. She ignored me and kept pacing.

"Mitch?" I tried the nickname I used to call her. She was still pacing, so I stepped around Lola and grabbed Mitchie's shoulders, pulling her to a stand still.

"Mitchie, what is going on?"

"You guys can't be here," she said. She broke out of my grip and started walking backwards.

"Why not?" Lola asked.

"Mitchie, what's wrong?"

"You can't. You just... you can't. It's not safe." She turned on her heel and took off running, leaving me and Lola to ponder her words.

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**OMG u guys are going to love me! I've been writing chapters for this in a notebook, and my friend has been reading it, acting as a beta of sorts. And I have like 5 chapters already written and read, so all I have to do is type them up and then post them!**


	7. Chapter 6

**YAY! NEW CHAPTER! And my friend told me to put this: the members of Connect 3 are NOT brothers. She got confused in this chapter when she was reading this, and she told me to clear this up.**

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What did she mean 'It's not safe?'" I wondered out loud. I paced the length of my kitchen again.

"I don't know," Lola said. I'd invited her to stay with me at my place. We both wanted to gather as much information as we could of Mitchie.

"Something's wrong. Something not safe. But _what_?" This would drive me nuts until I found out. Suddenly, I got an idea. As I developed the plan, i smiled wider and wider.

"What?" Lola asked, seeing the huge grin on my face. I explained my idea to her, but the doubt was evident on her face.

"I don't know," she said. "Will they go for that?"

"Let's find out," i said, picking up my phone and dialing the nuber.

-

"Okay, so let me get this straight," Ciatlyn said. "You want me and Nate to go to Applebee's and just so happen to run into Mitchie and make her spill her guts on what happened?" She and Nate were married with a son. They currently lived in Millburn, New Jersey.

"You don't even know if it's her," Nate said.

"It's her," I insisted. "I found her after all these years. It's her. Even Lola's seen her. Right Lola?" I turned to her for back up, and she nodded.

"It's definitely her. There's no way it could be a mistake."

"Well, why can't you go? Why do we have to be dragged into this?" This girl never gives up!

"We already went there. She ran off, remember? Besides, don't you want to see your friend again?" I could tell I was getting to her. I knew she'd given up hope that she'd see Mitchie again a long time ago. And now to find out that she's alive, and just a few streets down.... It was too good to pass up.

"Shane, you are the most delusional person I have ever met," Nate said. "But you're my best friend, so I'll do it. What do you say, Caity?"

"You owe us big time," Caitlyn growled at me.

-

**Caitlyn's POV**

I can't believe I'm doing this. I'll bet you anyting it's not even her. It's probably just Shane's runaway imagination again. He'd told us to ask for Mary, since that's what she goes by now. He also told us to ask for table 5. Whatever.

"Hi, welcome to Applebee's," an overly cheery girl greeted us. "Table for two" Nate nodded.

"Could we have table 5?" I asked quickly.

"Sure!" she said, then added, "Why?"

"Cause...um... cause-"

"Cause five is our lucky number," Nate said. "We were born five months apart, and we were both born on the fifth." The girl nodded and led us to the table.

"Our lucky number?" I asked when the girl was gone, raising an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Well it was the first thing that came to mind!" he said, raising his hands defensively.

"Hi, my name is Mary, I'll be your waitress tonight. Would you like something to drink?" Nte and I looked at the waitress, and my jaw dropped. Maybe Shane isn't as mental as I thought.

"Oh. My. God. I'm going to kill him!" Mitchie exclaimed. "Shane put you up to this, didn't he?" Just by saying that, she verified that she was, indeed, Mitchie Torres.

"Where is he? I will kill him with my bare hands!"

"Mitchie, wait!" I cried, grabbing her arm as she was about to walk away.

"I want to watch," i grinned, and she grinned back.

"Fine."

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**Woo hoo! 2nd update today! I'll post maybe one more chapter, then that'll be it. Maybe if you're good you'll get a bonus chapter...**


	8. Chapter 7

**The next two chapters will be in Mitchie's POv, then it'll switch back to Shane's POV.**

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I rang the doorbell and took a step back. A few seconds later, the door was pulled open, and Caitlyn stood in the doorway.

"Hey Mitchie," she said. Joey, who was refusing to ride in a stroller anymore, clung to my leg and peeked at her shyly.

"Oh my gosh, you didn't tell me you had a son!" she cooed.

"Yeah, this is Joey," I said. "He's not my biological son, but I don't care."

"Uh, why don't you come in and explain that last part?" Caitlyn said. I followed her inside the house, Joey still clinging to my leg. I picked him up, and he immediatly stuck his thumb in his mouth, something he only did when he was uncomfortable. The house was absolutely gorgeous. I looked around in wonder, fascinated at how they could make such a simple-looking house into something as elegant as this.

"Hey Mitchie," Nate said. "Hey Caity." He wrapped his arms around her waist and planted a sweet kiss on her lips. My heart shuddered and broke in two as I remembered what it felt like to kiss Shane that way.

"Nate, this is Joey, my son," I said. "Joey, these are Mama's friends." Joey waved quickly, then went back to sucking his thumb.

"Cool, so, uh, you want something to drink?" Nate asked.

"Nah, I'm good," I said. Caitlyn just shook her head.

"Okay, well, I'll be at the shop," Nate said, grabbing a set of keys. "You know where to find me."

"The shop?" I asked when he was gone.

"We own a music shop," Ciatly explained. "It's called the Millburn Music Center. We sell all sorts of instruments, music books, and supplies and stuff. We also give lessons."

"Nice," I said. "Do you sell guitars? I haven't played one since.... Actually, now that I think about it, I haven't done anything involving music in ten years."

"Wow," Caitlyn said. "So, what did you mean when you said that Joey's not your biological son?"

"He's not. I'm his stepmother."

"What?" Caitlyn asked, and I sighed.

"I'd have to tell you the whole story for any of this to make sence. Promise not to interrupt?"

"Promise," she said, crossing her heart, just like we used to do.

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**Sorry I didn't make this chapter longer. But Mitchie's story is REALLY long, and then if I'd kept it in this chapter, it would so long, you'd get bored readig it and give up. And then you'd get confused later on in the story.**


	9. Chapter 8

**Just for the record, this DOES NOT count as a chapter in Mitchie's POV since it's mostly gonna be flashbacks. Also, I apologize in advance for any typos. My "n" key isn't working that well. It only works if you press it pretty hard, and once I get going, i usually press the keys lightly seeing as its easier. so if I'm missing any "n"s, its just because of the stupid key.**

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_2009_

Ugh. Where was I? My head was pounding, and my stomach had that awful empty feeling you get before you throw up. Wasn't I just heading home? I tried taking in my surroundings, but my mind was too fuzzy to notice anything. Besides a strange whirring sound. It sounded like tires agaist pavement, and it was getting annoying.

"Maybe some hair dye," a woman said. I froze, hardly daring to breathe. Who was that? They were defiitely NOT my mom. I may be only half concious, but I know my mother's voice when I hear it.

"And a new name." And that was definitely not my father. Who were these people? Something soft touched my wrist, then my cheek. My eyelids fluttered, and I moaned as my head rocked to the right. My eyes slowly opened. I was lying in the backseat of a car, my head cradle in a woman's lap. She smiled dow at me, and I stared blankly back at her.

"Hey there, sleepy head," she said. She was about my mom's age. She looked a little like her too. The only differences I could spot at the time were her eyes were gray, and she looked smaller. She began to stroke my hair lightly.

"Where am I?" I croaked. My throat felt thick and sore. "Who are you?"

"I'm your new mother," the woman said. "That's your new father."

"Where are my parents?"

"We're right here."

"You're ot my mother!" I'd meant to scream, but my throat was so dry, it had no volume to it. My vision blurred, and my tears fell onto her lap.

"Shh," she soothed me in a motherly tone. "Shh, it's okay. It's going to be alright." She laid my head on the seat carefully, then opened a big, bulky suitcase. My stomach churned, and I groaned, clutching my stomach and rolling over.

"Lauren, I thinks she's gonna be sick," the man said, looking at me with concern. He was right. The woman, Lauren, held a bin under my chin, and she whispered comforting words into my ear and held my hair back as I retched violently in the bin. I coughed and sputtered, praying that I was done. When my throat cleared, Lauren laid my head back down on the seat. My sobs became louder, and my sides ached. Tears fell freely now, and I began to hyperventilate. The sides of the car spun, and I felt light headed. I closed my eyes in a sad attempt to calm myself down. Somethig stung my arm, right inside my elbow. Almost immediatly, my thoughts fogged over, turning them into an incoherent jumble, and the darkness swallowed me whole.

-

My eyes opened again to the sun overhead. I was in the guy's arms, being carried. Had we driven through the night? Where were we now?

"You're awake!" the man crowed happily. No shit Sherlock.

"Where are we?" I whispered.

"Welcome to Calhoun Falls, South Carolina," he said. I looked around, and saw horse stables to my right, and a big pen full of sheep. To my left was a field of apple trees, stretching as far as I could see.

"Can I walk?" I was still whispering, but only because I felt so exposed here. I had no idea what to expect, or where exactly Calhoun Falls was.

"Sure, as long as you don't run off," the man joked lightly. Where would I run to? I had no idea where to go. He set me on the ground, and my legs felt wobbly and unstable from disuse.

"This is your new home," he said. "We already have a room set up for you and everything." The house was huge. It had 3 storeis, and it was bigger than any house I'd ever seen in my life. The sheep were bleating loudly, and the air was dry and a little dusty. Something settled on my head, and I realized it was a cowboy hat. I looked at the man questioningly.

"You're a country girl now," he said. "I'm Timothy Lancaster, but you can call me Tim. I figure you won't be too comfortable with calling me 'Dad'."

"I'm Mitchie, but I overheard you say I need a new name. Why?"

"Well, uh, my wife, Lauren, can't have kids," he said, "and we really wanted a daughter. But she didn't want to go through all the potty training and stuff, so we told everyone we were adopting a teenager. And we chose you." Okay, these people were really starting to creep me out.

"Um," was the brilliant answer I cam up with.

"So what do you want to be called?" he asked. "You can call yourself whatever you like."

"I always liked the name Melanie," I said, biting my lip.

"Melanie it is." Tim walked ahead of me, into the house. Looking around again, I realized I could never go back. I didn't know how to get there, and the would catch me before I got very far. Maybe once I was eighteen I could visit my real parents again. Once I was eighteen, I was a legal adult, and i could do whatever _I_ wanted to.

Taking in a deep breath, I walked forward as Melanie Lancaster, leaving Mitchie Torres behind.

-

_2011_

My heart trembled in the base of my throat as I took cautious steps down the aisle. It wasn't very long, but it might as well be a mile. Tim and Lauren watched me with proud eyes. We had become pretty close in just two years, and I knew they couldn't be prouder of me right now. Me? I wanted to be anywhere but here. I didn't even love Vince! He's nice and all, i guess, but he's not the one. I'm only marrying him because he's Lauren's best friend's son. It's not like they're forcing us to get married, but he proposed right in front of Tim and Lauren! What was I supposed to do?

The ceremony passed in a blur. Was I supposed to walk that fast? What were my vows? Shit. Before I knew it, Vince's lips were on mine, and the priest announced us as Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Quigley. Ugh.

-

_2012_

I threw myself into the closet, hoping for some hiding place. Vince was on a rampage, and to make matters worse, he was completely drunk. He was always like this now, and I didn't have the guts to divorce him. I was too afraid that he would come after me.

"MELANIEEEEE!" he called. "Come out, come out wherever you are." I pressed my fist to my mouth to keep myself from screaming, and silently prayed that he wouldn't find me. God wasn't on my side. The closet doors flew open, and I was dragged roughly out by my hair. Vince grabbed my arm and twisted it up behind my back, and I felt something snap. I cried out, and Vince dropped me to the floor.

"You stupid bitch," he growled, kicking my side. He continued kicking me, and I tried to crawl away, but he kicked me against the wall.

"Please... please, no!" I begged. He responded by punching me in the mouth. I could taste the blood, and my stomach flip flopped.

"If you weren't so stupid, maybe I wouldn't have to teach you these lessons," he said in a deathly calm voice. "I'm tired of having to teach you. You're so stupid, you'll never get it." He walked out of the room, and I snatched the phone out of the cradle. It rang twice before a familiar voice picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Lauren, Lauren, it's me, Melanie." I gasped into the phone. I think he broke my rib.

"Mel?"

"Please, get me out of here. Vince is-"

"Melanie!" Uh oh. Vince was back. He knocked the phone out of my hands and hit me with the wine bottle in his hand. I screamed, and warm blood trickled down my arm. He clawed at my face, opening more wounds, and I try to push him off. I can hear Lauren screaming my name from the phone.

"Vince, no!" I shrieked. I kicked him off of me and ran outside, but he followed me. I vault over the white gate at the edge of our yard and dart across the street. I head for the woods, hoping I can lose him in there. I zig zag through the trees, but I can hear him crashing through trees right behind me. It wasn't long before I came across another road. I barely make it across before I collapse. I can't breathe. I look in terror as Vince starts running across the street. A loud blaring comes out of nowhere, and Vince is lit up by light. I close my eyes as Vince turns to his right, and yelling is the last thing I hear before I pass out.

-

I curl myself into Kevin's side, completely content. What happened to Vince, you ask? After he started to cross the road, he was hit by a drunk driver. The driver wasn't wasted enough not care, but he couldn't stop the car either. Later, when he was sober enough to apologize, I'd hugged him, and he looked as if he thought he was still drunk. But I was so glad that he'd killed Vince. So I'd gone off to college, 18, and already a widow

I married Kevin four moths ago. We have a son, but he's not mine. You see, Kevin knocked up his girlfriend, Danielle. Then when their son, Joey (his full name is Joseph, but everyone just calls him Joey), was only a month old, she left, saying she couldn't handle it. So Kevin was left to raise Jpey on his own.

I met him a month and a half later. He was an absolute mess. He had no idea how to balance a baby and a job, and he couldn't afford day care. When I met him, we were at McDonalds, and he was ordering something, and at the same time, trying to get Joey to stop crying. Since I was right behind him, I started to make funny faces at Joey. When Joey began to laugh, Kevin turned atound to find me cross-eyed, trying to touch my tongue to my nose. We got to know each other a little better, and Kevin proposed on Easter. On the day we got married, I promised Kevin to love Joey as if he were my own. I'm pretty sure he now knows I didn't have to promise him. I love Joey to death, and I wouldn't give him up for anything. Kevin says I'm a natural at being a mom.

"So your birthday's next month," Kevin said casually. "Any idea of what you want?" I looked up at him, wondering why he would ask that.

"I don't want anything," I said. When he opened his mouth to protest, I added, "I have everything I could ever want."

"Mel, you're crazy," Kevin said, kissing me lightly. I deepend the kiss, but then the doorbell rang. I pulled away, groaning, and looked at the clock. Who would be here at 8:37?

"I'll get it," Kevin said begrudginly **(Ooh. Big word.)**. I followed him to the top of the stairs, then watched as he opened the door. A stranger pushed his way into the house, and kevin closed the door.

"You Melanie Lancaster?" the stranger asked gruffly.

"Uh, yes?" I said, then watched in horror as he pulled out a gun and aimed it at my chest.

"I assure you, this is nothing personal," he said. "Don't panic." Too late. Kevin was creeping towards the fireplace.

"Stall," he mouthed to me.

"What do you want?" I demanded in a shaky voice. I'd meant to sound confident, but I couldn't help but sound terrified.

"I have orders to take Joey," he said. My heart froze, and my thoughts immediately jumped to the nursery down the hall.

"Danielle wants him back," he was saying. "Please, step away from the stairs. I much prefer not using this." He motioned towards the gun.

"No," I whispered, but I knew the sound carried. "No, you're not taking him. You can't."

"Melanie, please."

"No. Danielle abandoned him, eight months ago. She doesn't deserve him!" Kevin had the pokey thing from the fireplace, and was getting ready to hit the man.

"Melanie, please. I don't want to hurt anyone. Just let me take Joey, and I'll be gone. No harm dine. However, if you don't move, I will shoot." The gun was aimed straight at my chest, but I held my ground. There was no way he was getting Joey. He was more _my_ baby than Danielle's. How do I know? I'd willingly give up my life to save his.

Kevin hit the stranger at the same time the man pulled the trigger. The shot was a foot away from it's target, but I hit the ground anyway and began crawling towards the nursery. I could hear Kevin and the stranger fighting, but I kept moving. I wanted to go back and help, but Joey needed someone to protect him.

I knew the stranger would stop at nothing until he got Joey. I slammed the door behind me and started throwing Joey's clothes into a bag. Joey laid in his crib, staring at me with wide eyes, but not making a sound. His eyes were so full of wonder and hope. Pounding feet and gunshots brought me back to the present, and I snatched Joey from his crib, holding him close. Kevin burst through the door and pressed himself against it. The stranger threw himself against the door, and Kevin dug his heels into the carpet.

"Melanie, run! Take Joey and run!" kevin whispered urgently.

"What? No! No, kevin, no! I am NOT leaving you behind!"

"Open the door!" the stranger roared.

"Kevin..."

"Go! Now!"

"I'm giving you to the count of thirty."

"Kevin, come on!"

"No, Melanie, just go. I'll hold him off."

"One, two three, four..."

"I love you," I whispered to Kevin. I kissed him one last time, then turned to the window. My tears fell onto Joey's pajamas. I turned back to look at Kevin one more time.

"I love you, Melanie," he said. "More than my own life. Go, be happy. Appriciate it all. For me."

"I will," I promised. "I will protect Joey with my own life." The stranger was at fifteen. I climbed out the window, and closed my eyes as I jumped off the roof. My knees collapsed under me when I landed, and I just barely managed to twist myself so Joey wouldn't get crushed. I stood up and rant to the van, strapping Joey into his car seat, then running to the dirver's seat and getting in. But before I could start the car, there were gunshots from the open upstairs window. I started the engine, put the car into reverse, and floored it. I drove like a madman down the streets, not caring about the speed limits. I needed to get away, fast. Only when I was on the highway did I let myself cry. Kevin was dead. I was being chased, and my life was being threatened. I was solely resposible for Joey, and we only had each other now.

* * *

End of flashback

* * *

"Oh my God," Caitlyn said, hugging me.

"I went to New York," I said. "I figured it would be harder to track me in a busy city. I changed my name to Mary, too."

"I never thought I'd see you again," Caitlyn said. "Everyine thought you were dead. We even had a memorial. All of your friends were there, and so were all your favorite things. Your guitars, your songs, your stuffed animals from when you were little. Your parents had me and Sierra give speechs, but we were so distraught, we could hardly get any words out."

"Really?" Caitlyn nodded.

"Everyone was there. Even after it, the papers ran stories about you. You were like a mini celebrity!"

"I think I'd rather become famous some other way."

"Only shane ever hoped we'd find you," Caitlyn said. "He even hired a PI!" **(For those of you who don't know, PI stands for Private Investigator)**

"Wow, he must've really loved me," I said. He probably would never go for me again, though. That was all those years ago, when we were young. Besides, he was probably seeing someone else.

"He still does!" Caitlyn said. "He still loves you! Why else would he go through all this?"

"He does? but doesn't he have a girlfriend, or something?"

"Mitchie, you are so blind! Shane loves _you_! Mitchie Torres! not Melanie Lancaster, not Mary. Mitchie Torres." My heart soared. Shane still loved me! But i loved him too much to let him get hurt.

"But what about Danielle? And the psychopath she hired who tried to kill me? it's not safe for any of you to be close to me. Danielle will do anything to get Joey back, and if that means hurting my friends, she'll do it. I just... i don't want anyone to get hurt because of me. I'd never be able to live with myself."

"Well, you can't just expect us to stay away!" Caitlyn cried, throwing her hands up in the air. "You meant a lot to everyone who knew you!"

"How do I know you're not just saying that?"

"Mitchie, Tess was at your memorial. _Tess Tyler_."

"But what about my parents? And you, and Nate, and Shane and Lola? Or even Tim and Lauren. They might've kidnapped me, but they took care of me and made sure I had a roof over my head, and that I was happy. Well, as happy as I could be."

"Mama?" a little voice interrupted us. We looked down, and Joey looked back up at me with sleepy eyes. I realized that it was almost his bedtime. Had we really been here that long?

"I better go," I said, picking my son up.

"Okay, but we're continuing this eventually," Caitlyn said. "Be careful. Don't get kidnapped!" I laughed and hugger her.

"Bye!" I called, walking down the sidewalk to my car.

* * *

**Ta da! Mitchie's story! and possibly the longest chapter i will ever write!**

**Okay, so I have good news, more good news, bad news, and even more good news. and it only makes sense in that order.**

**good news is, todays my birthday! lol. i got an ipod touch and i was playing with the thing all day. like seriously im not kidding. i was playing with it literally all day.**

**more good news is, twilight came out on DVD and blue-ray today! which made me weven more ecited. half of my day was spent watching the movie over and over, then going back and watching my fav clips.**

**okay, the only bad news is, since i have a new ipod and my favorite movie is on it, i will be fascinated with it for quite some time. i might not post as much, but i promise you, i will not abandon my stories!**

**even more good news is, i finally finished this story! no, this is no the last chapter. i wrote it all in a notebook, and had my frineds read it and tell me how it was, and i finished it in there. which makes for more updates, and faster. but like i said before, i will be fascintaed by my ipod for a while, so please bear with me.**


	10. Chapter 9

**This is the last chapter in Mitchie's POV. Originally, I had planned to make it from Shane's POV, but I figured it would make more sense in Mitchie's.**

It's been six months since Shane cracked my anonymity. I still can't believe he found me. I thought he'd move on by now, but he didn't. It was just like at Camp Rock.

I took a quick look behind me, and I smiled when I saw Joey, now two, fast asleep in his car seat. I stared out the window at all the trees passing by, and I felt like I had to throw up. I was so nervous about what I was about to do. Shane seemed to sense my anxiety, because he took a hand off the steering wheel and enveloped my hand in his. He gave it a small squeeze, and I gave him a small smile to show him I appreciated it.

The entire trip took three hours, but it felt more like three minutes. My stomach did little flips as we turned off the highway. I saw kids with their parents, at the park, and some kids playing with the sprinkler while their parents watched from the porch. They were innocent little scenes, but they meant the world to me. Shane parked the car and turned to look at me.

"You okay? You sure you're ready?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure." And I was. As Shane got out of the car, I climbed into the backseat and gently shook Joey awake.

"Joey, honey, we're here," I said when he blinked up at me. I unfastened his seatbelt and picked him up, then turned to look at Shane. He was coming back down the driveway, and he opened the door for me and helped me out when he got back to the car. As soon as Shane was out of the way, I looked up and froze. The woman in the doorway dropped the book she was holding.

She had more gray hair than before, and she looked more stressed, but other than that, she was exactly how I remembered her. We stared at each other, not saying anything, but I finally broke the silence after thirty seconds- I couldn't help it.

"Mom!" I cried, running flat out for her. She met me with open arms.

"Mitchie," she crooned in my ear. "Mitchie, Mitchie, Mitchie. Steve! Steve come here! Hurry!"

"What's going on?" he asked, coming around the corner. "What's going on?" He saw me then, and he joined the hug. We were finally together again.

"Mom? Dad? What's with all the yelling?" a new voice asked, coming down the stairs. I looked up to see a girl about seventeen come into the foyer.

"Who's she?" the girl asked, pointing to me.

"Tiff, this is your sister," my mom said slowly, then bit her llip, anticipating what the girl would say.

"Oh yeah! I heard about you," the girl said. "Mom and Dad told me all about you, and how I had a big sister, but they didn't know where you were. I'm Tiffany, your sister."

"Sister?" I asked, shaking her hand.

"Yeah. Mom and Dad adopted me when I was eleven," she said.

"We didn't think you were alive," my dad explained.

"So we decided to adopt, four years after you went missing," my mom finished.

"Okay, well, I'm Mitchie, and this is Joey, my son." Joey waved, the buried his face in my hair.

"Aww! He's adorable!" Tiffany cooed. "Can I hold him?"

"Sure," I said, passing him to her. He fought her for a few seconds, then began giggling for no apparent reason. We all laughed with him, even thought we were unsure about what was so funny.

"I missed you so much," I said when our laughter died down.

"We missed you too," my mom said.

"Even me," Tiffany added. "They showed me your picture, and I couldn't help but miss you. I didn't even get a chance to meet you till now."

"So I'm literally the big sister you never had," I grinned.

"Exactly," Tiffany said, grinning back at me.

"So, uh, any boyfriends I get to chase off?" I teased her, and she blushed.

"Shane, thank you so much for finding her," my dad said.

"Ah, it's nothing,"' Shane said, sauntering to my side and kissing my cheek. "I just ran into her... literally."

"Oh, God," I said, hiding my face in my hands.

"C'mon, you have a lot to tell us, Missy," my mom said, leading me into the house. I smiled, and i could almost imagine that I was sixteen again.


	11. Chapter 10

**Back to Shane's POV!**

It was almost midnight, and Mitchie was fast asleep in the passenger seat. She'd had such a long day, and she looked so peaceful that I didn't want to wake her up. Since I didn't have a key to her apartment, I decided to let her and Joey spend the night at my place. I carried Joey in first and settled him on my bed. Then I went back to my car for Mitchie, and set her next to her son. i covered them with the blanket, then grabbed a spare pillow and quilt and headed to the living room couch.

Even as I laid in the darkness, I couldn't fall asleep. I still couldn't get over the fact that Mitchie was alive and well. And currently just down the hall. We'd just begun to start over in our relationship, but it was hard. There were so many thing we'd missed in each others lives. I didn't really know how to act around her anymore, or how she would react to different things.

I rolled over and looked up at the stars. The night was illuminated by a full moon, just like the last night at Camp Rock. Mitchie and I had snuck out for one last canoe ride, and to reflect on our summers. We'd pretty much ended up going in circles again, and laughing our heads off. I smiled and laughed quietly as I remembered how Mitchie's mom and Uncle Brown had found us asleep in the canoe the next morning. I began to match the stars to reasons why I loved Mitchie so much. I was doing fine until I realized I had run out of stars.

I got up to go to the bathroom, and on the way back, I stopped in the doorway of my bedroom to check on Mitchie and joey. They were both still sound asleep, and Mitchie was holding Joey in her sleep. I smiled at the scene before me, and walked to the side of the bed. i placed a kiss on both of their foreheads before heading back to the couch. As I laid back down, I looked out the window just in time to see a star streak across the sky.

"Please,' I whispered to no one in particular, "please, make Danielle give up. Let Mitchie and joey live their lives without fear." Then i fell into a dreamless sleep.


	12. Chapter 11

Mitchie had left about an hour ago, and already my apartment seemed too quiet, too empty. The silence rang in my ears and it annoyed the hell out of me. I was sitting at my kitchen table with the contents of a newspaper spread out all over it. I was supposed to be looking for a new job, seeing as Lola's show was up and running, and they had pretty much no need for me anymore.

But I couldn't seem to focus on new jobs. I kept coming up with great ideas for new songs, only 30% of which made it on paper. In the end, however, only I only expanded and labored over about 5% of the 30% until they were actual songs. Hey, maybe I could get a job as a song writer somewhere...

I pulled out a sheet of paper with a song I had been writing. I'd been working on it ever since I'd run into Mitchie, when I'd found her. The lyrics were so true, and I'm pretty sure a lot of people could relate to it. I began playing chords on my guitar, trying to come up with a tune for it.

_"It only takes a moment  
For your eyes to meet and then  
Your heart knows in a moment  
You will never be alone again_

_I held her for an instant  
But my arms felt sure and strong  
It only takes a moment  
To be loved a whole life long_

_I've heard it said  
That love must grow  
That to be sure  
You must be slow_

_I saw her smile  
And now I know  
I'll listen to just my heart  
That smile made me trust my heart_

_For I held her for an instant  
But my arms felt sure and strong  
It only takes a moment  
To be loved a whole life long_

_And that is all  
That love's about  
And we'll recall  
When time runs out  
That it only took a moment  
To be loved a whole life long."_

Ooh, that was good. I scrawled the chords I'd played next to the lines, playing through it when I couldn't remember. When I was done, I folded the piece of paper back up and stuffed it in my pocket. I crossed the small space over to the refridgerator, but instead of opening it, I reached on top of it and pulled out a small velvet box. I quickly opened it.

The ring wasn't all that extravagant, but Mitchie always liked simpler things better. It fit her personality perfectly, and I knew exactly how I would propose. I would take her out on a date on her birthday, and the ring would be on the cake when the workers brought it out. I knew, deep down, she would be thrilled. I closed the box again and pushed it back into it's hiding spot.

**OMGOSH!!!!!! SHANE'S PROPOSING!!!!!!! But of course, I already knew that. Anyways, this was more of a filler chapter and stuff.**

**I am sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sorry for not updating in so long. But I have a pretty good reason. I have been busy in a magical place filled with hope and wonder called...(drumroll) track practice. That's right, I'm on the track team. And we have practice EVERY SINGLE DAY. Like, no joke. Even during spring break. And I'm not so uncoordinated that I can't run. I can run like hell. And I like track. I have a bunch of new friends, and we all have so much fun there. And yes, we sometimes run into pricker bushes. That just adds to the fun! And I'm not insane... maybe a little...**


	13. Chapter 12

A few days later, I was sitting at the kitchen table, admiring the ring again. I turned it over and over in my hand, watching as it caught the sunlight and shone briliantly. It threw rainbows across the walls, and smiled at the sight. I started to put it back in the box when a frantic pounding at the door made me jump.

"Shane! Shane, please, I need you!" the person yelled. Mitchie. I shoved the velvet box roughly into my pocket and ran to the door, yanking it open. Mitchie ran into my arms and began to sob uncontrollably. I did my best to hold her up as her legs collapsed.

"Shhh," I whispered. "Shhhh, Mitchie. Shhhhh. What happened?"

"Tey took Joey away!" she sobbed. My heart froze.

"What?"

"They took him away, Shane! They took my baby away!"

"Who took him?"

"The police! They said I didn't have enough money to support him!" mitchie was completely hysterical now. She broke down crying, and I picked her up, kicking the door closed. I carried her to the couch and pulled her onto my lap, cradling her like a baby, letting her cry herself out.

"We'll get him back, I promise," I told her. "You'll get him back." I rocked her back and forth, trying to calm her down.

"Shane, how will we get him back? It's impossible! It's their word against ours." She hiccuped, and I lifted her chin so she was looking me in the eyes.

"We will get him back."


	14. Chapter 13

A few days later, I was sitting at the kitchen table, admiring the ring again. I turned it over and over in my hand, watching as it caught the sunlight and shone briliantly. It threw rainbows across the walls, and smiled at the sight. I started to put it back in the box when a frantic pounding at the door made me jump.

"Shane! Shane, please, I need you!" the person yelled. Mitchie. I shoved the velvet box roughly into my pocket and ran to the door, yanking it open. Mitchie ran into my arms and began to sob uncontrollably. I did my best to hold her up as her legs collapsed.

"Shhh," I whispered. "Shhhh, Mitchie. Shhhhh. What happened?"

"Tey took Joey away!" she sobbed. My heart froze.

"What?"

"They took him away, Shane! They took my baby away!"

"Who took him?"

"The police! They said I didn't have enough money to support him!" mitchie was completely hysterical now. She broke down crying, and I picked her up, kicking the door closed. I carried her to the couch and pulled her onto my lap, cradling her like a baby, letting her cry herself out.

"We'll get him back, I promise," I told her. "You'll get him back." I rocked her back and forth, trying to calm her down.

"Shane, how will we get him back? It's impossible! It's their word against ours." She hiccuped, and I lifted her chin so she was looking me in the eyes.

"We will get him back."

* * *

**Awwwwwww, poor Mitchie! of course I knew this was coming, but i bet none of you did! im just that evil... again, more of a filler chapter.**

**And I'm sorry (again) for not updating. I've been at track and stuffs, plus i had many many projects and finals. but mostly track. OOH! there was this one time where we were running on the roads and i ran into a tree, then one of my friends tripped and nearly got run over, and then my other friend's shoe rubbed against her heel and it gave her a cut. and they gave me a new nickname. its reely fun, and we get into all sorts of things. and im NOT crazy... well maybe a little, but i have 2 fit in with the rest of the team! sadly, though, the season has ended along with school.**


	15. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: Camp Rock ain't mine. Sue me.**

**EDIT: I truly am very sorry for not updating this over a year. I also apologize for the crappy quality of writing. I'd lost the notebook I'd written the story down in, and when I went back and read it, I was appalled at how horrible my quality of writing was a year ago. But now I'm back and I'll try to make this suck a little less and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story!**

**Also, there's some minor swearing in here, but you'll understand why when you get to the parts.**

"Excuse me, maybe you can help me," I said to the young woman behind the desk. I was at the NYPD, hoping to find out anymore information about Joey. Mitchie was waiting in the car, not allowing herself to hope, in case it ended in disappointment. After all, she wasn't even his mother; she was his stepmother, and he was only left in her care because his father was dead, and his mother was insane. Or something.

"Yes, what do you need?"

"Well, um, I was wondering what you could tell me about Joey Torres." The woman eyed me suspiciously, clearly sizing my up.

"Why do you want to know?" I rolled my eyes, trying to keep my anger down. I'd had a hard enough time finding this place, what with Mitchie being convinced that it was down one street, then realizing it wasn't.

"I'm a friend of his mother's" I explained. "I wanted to know more about his case." The woman pursed her lips and seemed to be thinking this over.

"I can't help you," she finally said. When I opened my mouth to protest, she added, "I don't know anything about it either. The file was turned over DYFS."

"To what?" I had never heard of DYFS before.

"The Department of Youth and Family Services." She wrote down an adress on a sticky note. "This is their address. They'll be able to help you more than I can."

"Thank you," I said. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

"I'm not guaranteeing they'll tell you anything. I think it's only family," she said.

"Still, thank you." I ducked out the door and ran down the steps to where Mitchie was waiting in my car. As soon as I opened the door, she looked at me, her eyes so full of hope, it hurt me to know I hadn't learned much. I used to think that a broken heart was just some stupid cliche. But now as I looked at her, I felt my heart fracture into a million pieces.

"Did you find out anything?" I shook my head, and my already broken heart splintered again as I watched her face fall.

"They gave me an address," I said. "They said that the Department of Youth and Family Services might be able to tell us more." We drove in silence the entire way. The building wasn't that hard to find.

"You wanna come in?" I asked, cutting the engine. Mitchie shook her head, staring straight ahead of her.

"No," she said. "I don't know If I'd be able to handle it." I quickly pulled her into my embrace, trying to comfort her as best as I could, then I got out of the car. It took 15 minutes, but I was finally brought to the social worker on Joey's case. As he walked down the hall to meet me, I feverently hoped he wouldn't also question me. I'd already harrassed enough people to get here, and I wasn't looking forward to being questioned a thousand times today.

"Where is he? What will happen to him?" There were a million questions I wanted answers to.

"Right now Joey is in the Child Care section of our building," he said. "If Mary can't prove that she has sufficient funding to support both herself and Joey, he will either be moved into foster care, or be put up for adoption."

"Isn't there any way for her to get him back?" I asked desperately. I would not allow Mitchie to lose him. If he was put up for adoption... it would break her. She would never be the same again.

"The only solution I can think of at the time would be for Mary to take a better paying job." I sighed and slumped back in the cahir i was sitting on, running a hand through my hair. Suddenly, I had 2 ideas; I would only ask one, though. The other was up to Mitchie to decide.

"Can I have him record a message for Mary? It would only take a few minutes, and I could record it on my phone. It would mean the world to her, and if I know Joey, I'll bet he's dying to see her again." He though it over for what seemed like a long time, while I waited on edge, anxious for his answer.

"I suppose that would be alright," he said finally. I let out the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding as he stood up and led me down a maze of hallways. There were children of all ages in different rooms, no doubt take from their families, just like Joey. Something inside me reminded me that they had probably been taken away for good reason, to protect them, but I couldn't help but feel sorry for them and their families. They weren't sure if they would be able to see them again, and even though Joey wasn't related to me in any way, I still felt outraged at the fact that they took him away.

"This is Joey's room," the social worked said. A window allowed me to see him sitting in the middle of the floor, stacking blocks. He was facing us, but didn't look up. He looked absolutely miserabled, and didn't seem to care when his tower collapsed in a pile on the floor.

"Can he see me?"

"No, it's a one-way mirror. He knocked on the door and Joey slowly looked up at him.

"Hi, Joey," the social worker said softly. "Do you remember who I am?" Joey nodded once, continually staring at him with a blank face. "You have a visitor, today, and I'm sure you'll be happy to see him." I stepped through the door, and Joey's whole face lit up with delight.

"Shane!" he squealed, charging over to me. I knelt down to hug him, and he held onto me as hard as he could. I literally had to pry him off of me.

"Hey, little man," I said, using my name for him. "You doin' okay?"

"Yeah," he said, nodding. "Where's Mama? I miss her lots."

"Mama couldn't come today," I told him. Technically, I wasn't lying. "Do you want to record a message for her?"

"Yeah!" Joey nodded so enthusiastically, his golden curls bounced up and down. I quickly pulled out my phone, turned it to video and pressed record.

"Okay, Joey, what do you want to say to Mama?" I asked as I trained the camera on him.

"Hi Mama!" Joey squealed. "Can you see me? I miss you. I love you, Mama!" He kissed the camera, making me smile.

"Mr. Gray, your time is up," the social worker informed me. I nodded and turned back to Joey.

"I have to go, but I promise that I'll be back again. Is that alright?"

"Yeah," Joey sighed. "Bye Shane! Bye Mama!" I pressed the stop button and hugged Joey again. As soos as I left the room, I looked back in through the window.

"How long doe she have?" He knew exactly what I meant.

"A month. You know, he hasn't spoken a single word since we brought him here. Not till now," the social worker commented. "A caretaker reported that he cries at night, asking for Mary."

"Why not let him see her than?" I asked bitterly. I was positive I looked furious, and he turned to face me.

"I don't like it," he informed me. "I don't like the fact that we're splitting up families, or that the children here are homesick and want their parents. In fact, I hate it. But what I hate more is the conditions that some of these kids come from. Most of them have been abused all their life, and don't know any other way besides that. A lot of them have been neglected and ignored nad cast aside and forgotten. Do you think I like seeing those kids cry and beg for their families? No! But I'd rather see them be homesick than be abuse by their own parents!" By now he was on the verge of shouting.

"Mary never laid a single hand on him!" I roared in fury. "She would never even _think_ about hurting him! So what if she didn't make enough? I was willing to help her out! Lend her money when she needed it, and babysit for her when she needed to go out. Why? Because that's what friends do! But no, you have to go and take him away and break her heart! Do you have any idea what she's been like recently? She's been like a ghost! I can't get her to eat or drink or sleep or anything! He means the world to her, and you took him away!" I grabbed my coat, which I had dropped on the floor and began walking away.

"Where do you think you're going, sir?" she demanded.

"I'm going home," I said, still walking away. "Thanks for being an asshole."

* * *

I brought Mitchie back to my apartment. Ever since the police took Joey away, she'd been staying at my place. As soon as we were back, I sat her on the couch.

"What did you want to show me?" she asked. I pulled out my phone, found the video, and handed the phone to her. As the video began, she pressed her fist to her mouth and I could see her tears threatening to overflow. As the video ended, her body began to shake with silent sobs, and I gathered her in my arms.

"I love you," I whispered to her. "I love you so, so much. And Joey too. I promise, I wont let us lose him." I buried my face in her hair and inhaled deeply. Then, the one thing that I wasn't expecting happened: she giggled. I pulled back, trying to figure out what was so funny, but she wouldn't stop laughing.

"What?" I demanded.

"Are you smelling my hair?" she asked incredulously. I began to laugh along with her, and deep in my heart, I knew that we would be okay.

* * *

Later that night, I was attempting to cook dinner, and Mitchie was lying on the couch, depressing herself by watching the video over and over again. She'd stopped crying over it about twenty minutes agon, but personally, I thought it was because she'd run out of tears.

"How can they expect me to find a new job in a month?" she asked miserably when I forced her to sit down at the table and eat. "It's impossible."

"Nothing's impossible," reminding her what she used to tell me. "What about music? You always to play guitar. Half of the time I was conviced you were going to marry the thing."

"Shane, I haven't played a piano or a guitar in almost ten years," she informed me. "I doubt I even remember how! It's hopeless!"

"Well, what about singing? Anyone can sing. Plus you have an amazing voice. If people heard what you're capable of- _truly_ capable of- you'd have a job in no time."

"Yeah, but this is New York, Shane. No one here sings for a living except the people on Broadway." I took her hand in mine and tracced the lines on it.

"It's useless! There's no was I can do it. A normal persan can't get a new job in a month." I turned her hand over and traced the lines on that side, then looked her straight in the eyes.

"A normal person," I said slowly, "would marry me."


	16. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: Do I really need to say it? It should be obvious by now.**

"Marry you?" she whispered. I nodded slowly, focusing on her hand, which was still in mine. I pictured a thousand different scenarios in my mind. She says yes, and we live happily ever after. She says no, and leaves again. She runs and never comes back... I shook my head, trying to clear it.

"Our incomes combined would be enough to support Joey, and he would be released back into our care," I rationalized, hoping that, if nothing else, she would do it to get Joey back. "He'd have two parents who would love him, and support him. But also because I love you, Mitchie. So, so much. I never want to let you go. Every time we're apart, all I can think about is you. And I know that you still don't think it's safe for me to be around you, but to be perfectly honest, I don't care. It's a risk I'm willing to take, one that I'd take anyday. I would wiling sacrifice myself to keep you and Joey safe, and there is no way you can tell me that that isn't love."

"Shane..." I held a hand up, cutting her off.

"And I know that it's not the best time to be doing this, but I figured you deserved some happiness after everything that you've been through. So, will you marry me?" I pulled the velvet box out of my pocket and sat down next to her, letting her see the ring. She gasped in amazement, and cautiously reached out to touch it.

"Yes," she said, smiling broadly at me. I grinned back, and slipped the ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly.

* * *

**(Warning contains profanities)**

"You ready?" I asked. Lola, Nate, Caitlyn and Jason were all sitting in the living room- our living room- waiting for us to come out and tell them what was so important.

"Not at all," Mitchie said grimly. "Let's go." I tried to smile, but it looked more like a grimace.

"What are you guys whispering about in there?" Lola demanded.

"Yeah," Jason said. "I don't know wbout you, but I have to get back to work soon."

"You mean watching birds?" Nate, of course.

"That's still work, man. I'm paid to do it."

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is."

"No, it's really not!"

"Yeah, it really is!"

"No!"

"Yeah!"

"No!"

"Ye-"

"Guys!" Caitlyn shouted at the same time I hear the unmistakable sound of someone hitting someone else with a newspaper.

"Sorry," they apologized together. I pushed the door open then, and Mitchie and I made our grand entrance. They all immediately looked up at us.

"So what was so important that you stuck me in the same room as these two?" Caitlyn demanded, pointing at Ntae and Jason. In response, I held up my left hand.

"We're married," I said, unable to find a way to soften it. "Last night, we went to City Hall and got married!" Chaos ensued almost immediately.

"WHAT?"

"No way!"

"Oh my God!"

"What the hell were you thinking?"

"Shane, you bastard! You didn't tell me you proposed!"

"Seriously guys? seriously?"

"Guys, please, calm down. I-"

"Calm down? Calm _down_? You got married! There is no way in Hell I'm going to _calm down_!"

"Hey! Everybody just shut up!" I roared. Not even five minutes had passed, and I was already sick of listening to them yelling at us.

"Yes, we got married, and no, we did not tell anyone," I said.

"But we'll have a formal ceremony eventually," Mitchie interjected.

"And we both wanted Joey to be there. He's my son too, now, and he deserves to be at his parents' wedding. This was the only way we could figure would work."

"And you can help me plan it, Caitlyn," Mitchie said, seeing Caitlyn start to open her mouth. Caitlyn closed her mouth again and settled for glaring at me.

"What?" I demanded.

"Did you even think about inviting us? No!"

"Well, we did, but-"

"Then why are we finding out about this just now?" Caitlyn shrieked.

"Whoa, Caitlyn. Maybe you should join the police or the FBI or somthing," Lola said.

"Yeah, can we stop questioning Shane, now? Please?"

"Whatever. I have to go." Caitlyn brushed past me, and the other three followed soon after.

"Jeez, what the hell is _her _problem?" I asked, flopping onto the couch.

"Well, back before I was kidnapped, Caitlyn made me promise that I would make her a bridesmaid at my wedding. But now, I've gotten married three times, and she hasn't been there for any of them," Mitchie explined, sitting down next to me.

"Oh." Well, I suppose that made sense.

"Don't worry about it. She'll get over it eventually." Mitchie yawn widely and sagged against my shoulder.

"Tired?" I asked, smiling. Mitchie nodded, yawning again. I laughed and picked her up, carrying her into the bedroom.

"Shane, I have two legs. I can walk on my own," she murmured sleepily.

"Uh huh. Sure you can. Should I remind you what happened the last time you tried to walk while you were this sleepy?" She'd nearly walked staright off the dock at camp. Knowing her, if I let her walk right now, she'd plow straight into a doorway or something. As soon as I set her on the bed, she rolled over, burying her head in the pillows. I couldn't help but laugh, but stopped when she kicked me.

"Hey!" I 'complained'. "What was that for?"

"You know very well what that was for, Shane Adam Gray." She sprawled all over the bed, leaving no room for me.

"What, now you're not going to let me on the bed?"

"No."

"Very mature, Mitchie." in response, she stuck her tongue out at me. "Well, then, I'm just going to have to... tickle you!" I ticked her sides and her stomach, and she squealed and tried to shift away from me.

"No! Shane, stop it!"

"Say you love me."

"Fine! I... I l-love you!" she gasped inbetween laughs. I kept on tickling her.

"And let me on the bed."

"Okay, okay! Just stop tickling me!" I obyed and she rolled back over to one side. I climbed onto the other side and gathered her in my arms.

"I hate you," she said, narrowing her eyes.

"Love you too," I said, and kissed her nose.

* * *

**Okay, so the next chapter will be the last one, and then there'll be an epilogue. A sequel is possible, cause I have a few ideas for one. However, none of them are really catching, so don't count on one. PLease review!**


	17. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: If you don't know that I don't own Camp Rock by now, then there is something really wrong with you.**

**This is the last chapter, not including the epilogue. Tell me if you'd like a sequel, and an idea of what you'd like to happen in said sequel. Otherwise, I'm leaving it as is, and you can go back and reread it if you'd like.**

**Also, I don't own Red Bull.**

Mitchie was bouncing so much that I had to hold her hand to prevent her from bouncing into something- or someone. It was as if someone had given her 12 cups of coffee or Red Bull or something. She was all giggly and hyper, and I could see that it was starting to get on Caitlyn's nerves. Her hands were clenched at her sides, like she was trying desperately not to punch her.

We were waiting outside the DYFS building along with Mitchie's parents, Tiffany, Jason, Nate, Caitlyn, and Lola, and it seemed like much more time had passed than ten minutes. It seemed as if an entire day had gone by. I waited anxiously, hoping that it wouldn't take much longer. I could tell that Caitlyn was getting towards the end of her fuse, and Mitchie was becoming desperate.

The door opened slowly, and the social worker walked out, leading Joey by the hand. He scanned the sidewalk for a second, then waved as he spotted us. The social worked helped him down the steps, then let go of his hand. Mitchie and I knelt down as Joey flew towards us, and we held onto him as if we would never let go. Mitchie began to cry, and refused to let anyone else hold him. This was my family, my wife, my son, and I wouldn't give them up for the world.

"Hi, Mama!" Joey crowed delightedly.

"Hey, baby," she smiled. She buried her face into his wild curls and hugged him even tighter.

"Shane!"

"Hey, what's up, Little Man?" I ruffled his hair, and Mitchie passed him to me. Joey threw his arms around my neck and squeezed so hard, he had me gagging. Mitchie and her parents laughed, and I loosened his grip on my neck.

"Today's Mama's birthday," I whispered in his ear.

"Happy Birthday, Mama!" he squealed.

"Aww, thank you," Mitchie crooned. I handed him back to her, and she snatched him out of my arms and began covering him with kisses. I simply smiled, knowing that she needed this, to be able to hold him close and know that he was really here.

"So, what do you say we go home and show Joey his new room?" Connie suggested, smiling at her daughter and grandson.

"Sure," Mitchie and I answered together. She grinned at me, setting Joey on the ground. We both took his hands, leading him back to my car. Joey squealed with delight as he splashed through every puddle he could reach. I laughed, and didn't care about the fact that it was pouring, or that Joey would get the car seats all wet. I was just glad that we were finally all together as a family again.

* * *

**YAY! LAST CHAPTER! Well, sort of. There's one more chapter, but that's the epilogue and stuff, so... yeah. And yeah, I know it's short. I wrote it in a notebook, and it seems a lot longer in there than it does on Fanfiction. Please review!**


	18. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: I ran out of things to say for the disclaimer, so I'm just gonna say it plain and simple: I don't own Camp Rock.**

* * *

**Epilogue- Ten Years Later**

"Mommy! Daddy!" Four set of footsteps pounded outside the bedroom door, and seconds later, four little kids tumbled into the room.

They were led by Taylor, our eight-year-old. She had Mitchie's eyes and my hair. She was our tomboy, and loved nothing more than running around outside barefoot, and playing in the mud. Taylor was born when Joey was three, and those two were inseparable. When Joey had gone to Kindergarten for the first time, Taylor had screamed and thrown a tantrum.

Next was Alex. He's six, and basically the male version of Taylor. He's the "Lone Wolf" of our kids; he preferred to be alone than with his brothers and sisters. He loved to sing and dance, and even this early on, it was clear that he had some real potential. He loved to make up songs and perform them for me and Mitchie.

Then came the twins, Molly and Mason. Molly wasof Mitchie, and Mason was a carbon copy of me. They're only four, but they already have their own "secret language", which they talk in all the time. Molly was the girly girl of the bunch. She loved to dress up in Mitchie's clothes and put on fashions shows that she forced all of us to watch. Mason, on the other hand, was like her little puppy. He was much more submissive than Molly was, and tended to do what she wanted instead of what he wanted to do.

Joe, as Joey now insisted on being called, followed after them. He had taken on the roll of a typical older brother. Once, when Alex was four, a kid pushed him off the swing at the park. Before either Mitchie or I could get there, Joe had tackled the kid and was screaming in his face. It had taken us ten minutes to get him off the terrified kid, but secretly, I was glad that he wasn't rejecting Alex. We'd told him the entire story when he was old enough, and instead of pushing the other kids away, like we had anticipated, he seemed to embrace them more.

"Mommy! Daddy! Santa came!" Taylor shrieked in my ear. "Come on! He left stuff for you too!" Mitchie eyed me suspiciously, and I got out of the bed before she could question me. My kids pulled me down the ahll and stairs, babbling ecitedly. It looked like the North Pole threw up in our living room. There were presents everywhere, and the tree was already lit up. Without pausing for a second, all five kids charged right into the living room. They started passing presents, and soon there was a mountain of wrapping paper.

"A scooter! Sweet!" Joe exclaimed, trhowing the wrapping paper aside.

"Ew. Clothes." Taylor said in disgust, dropping the dress on the ground. She held it between her thumb and forefinger like a dirty rag, and I couldn't help but laugh quietly.

"Daddy, what is this?" Alex asked as he held up a songbook.

"I'll take the clothes!" Molly excalimed, diving for the discarded dress.

"Dad, this on is for mom," Joe said, holding up my present to Mitchie.

"What about Mom?" Mitchie asked sleepily as she came down the stairs and into the mayhem.

"Santa left you something," Taylor informed her. Taylor snatched the box our of Joe's hand, and brought it over to Mitchie, who glared at me.

"Well, aren't you gonna open it?" Taylor asked, pushing it towards her. Mitchie tentatively tore the wrapping paper from the box, and glared at me again when she saw that it was a brand-new guitar. I just smiled sweetly and held her close. I could almost _feel_ her rolling her eyes. I noticed Mason wasn't opening his presents, and I crossed the room, with much difficutly, and knelt next to him.

"Hey, Buddy, what's wrong?" He looked up at me with his big brown eyes.

"Molly told me not to," he said simply. I frowned slightly. Molly was always telling him not to do things, and I wasn't so sure it was a good thing she was so assertive.

"Well, I'm saying that you can, and I'm the boss," I smiled at him. Mason smiled back and began to open the first one, his eyes lighting up when he saw that it was a Yankees t-shirt. **(AN: GO YANKEES! WHOO!)** He loved to sit with me and watch them play.

"Okay, these present are from Mommy and Daddy." Mitchie said, handing them out. The tore into the wrapping paper, and I had to keep myself from laughing at their expressions when they saw what was inside. Molly held up a collar; Mason, a leash; Taylor, food and water bowls; Alex, some chew toys; and Joe, a small, circular bed. They all looked at each other, before turning to us with confusion written across all their faces. amitchie nodded to me, and I went down the hall to get the last rpesent.

"A puppy!" they squealed all together. I set the small golden lab puppy on the ground, and they all crowded around her, petting her and holding her. The puppy was soaking up all the attention, her tail wagging so hard that her entire lower half wiggled with it.

"What are you going to name her?" Mitchie asked, and they all huddled together to decide on a name.

"We spoil them too much," I whispered in Mitchie ear as she wrapped her arms around my waist.

"You spoil _me_ too much," she growled back playfully, and I shrugged.

"It's fun," I said simply, then kissed her on the top of her head. "Especially seeing your reactions." She blushed and I chuckled softly.

"We'll name her Popcorn," Taylor announced.

"Why Popcorn?" Mitchie asked, sitting down next to them. The small, almost-white dog bounced over to her, and climbed half-wayup her shoulders just so it could lick her face.

"'Cause she's white and bounces around a lot, just like popcorn," Alex said.

"Hey guys! It's snowing!" Joe announced from the window. The kids crowded around, pressing the noses and faces against the glass, desperate to see if it was true. At the same time, all five of them turned to us, and I knew exactly what was coming next.

"Can we go outside?"

"Please, can we?"

"We'll be extra super careful!"

"Please, Mommy? Please, Daddy?"

"I'll make sure they don't kill each other or get hurt. Please?" You knoe Joe _really_ wants somehting when he says please.

"Fine," I said, and the all cheered and scrambled to get snow pants, boots and jackets. Mason came up to me, holding out his gloves and boots to me. I put his boots on for him while he put his gloves on. Or, rather, _tried_ to put his gloves on. While I jipped up his jacket, he lapsed into twin-talk. Pretty much, Mason was whispering made up words under his breath, and Molly always understood. It's cool, but strange at the same time. We have no idea how it works.

Before I was even done bundling him up, Mason stood up and walked over to where Molly was standing with Mitchie, I smiled as the all tumbled outside and into the winter wonderland. It was snowing so hard, it was almost impossible to see the kids. Mitchie pulled on her coat and boot, and then she was playing right along with them. I pulled my coat on too, but decided to watch from the porch. A snowball war had broken out, but half of the snowballs broke apart before the could hit their targets. Taylor approached me with an overly swet smile, both hands hidden behind her back. She stopped ten feet away, still smiling.

"Gotcha!" she shrieked, throwing a snowball at my chest. She ran in the other direction, and I chased after her, scooping her up and throwing her over my shoulder.

"Daddy!" she complained, pounding on my back. I spun in circles as she laughed and screamed. When I put her down, I turned so I was facing Mitchie. I could tell she'd been watching the whole thing by the amused smirk on her face.

"You're next," I growled mischiviously, and the smirk was instantly gone from her face. Mitchie yelped as I threw her over my shoulder, and Molly and Mason laughed.

"Shane Gray, You put me down right now!" She ordered. I pulled her down, so I was holding her bridal-style.

"What do you say?" I teased. Mitchie rolled her eyes.

"Shane Gray is totally hot," she said sarcastically.

"I was actually looking for please, but good to know you think I'm hot," I grinned.

"Shane!" she cried as she smacked my shoulder.

"Fine, fine," I said, placing her feet back on the ground. Big fat snowflakes caught on her hair and eyelashes. The snowball war was still ragin amongst our kids, so we wrapped our arms around each other and watched them run around and shriek at each other.

Maybe this was the happily-ever-after part. Maybe it wasn't. Either way, as long as I have Mitchie and our kids with me, I'm perfectly happy.

* * *

**AAAAAAAND... DONE! OKay, folks, that's it. Cheesy, I know, but I wrote it a while ago, and I'm too lazy to go back anc change it, so deal with it. Tell me if you want a sequel, but it'll probs take me even longer than it did to finish this one.**


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